What is depleting my calcium and Magnesium

mdebilio

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Something is rapidly depleting my Calcium and Magnesium levels. I have performed 10% x 4 water changes over the last 2 weeks and the numbers have not gone up. I checked my salter water source and tested it, and they are at a better level. I cannot figure out why this is happening and I think it may be effecting my corals.

I started with dry rock and let it cycle (less chance for pests as a reason). I am 4-5 months into this tank. I have 7 zoa frag plugs (small) in my 20 gallon Red Sea Max Nano tank. I have 7 snails 12 hermit crabs, 1 6 line wrasse, 1clown, 1 fire shrimp. NOTHING stands out as the source of my chemical problems.

observation: my Zoa’s are not opening up and stay closed all day. Could this chemical in balance be the reason for this? What will a low calcium and magnesium do for my coral and tank?


Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Salinity 1.024
KH: 7.7
Ca 390 (low)
Mg: 1260 (low)
Lights: AI Prime HD 50% blues & almost no R,G,W
 

Garf

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Something is rapidly depleting my Calcium and Magnesium levels. I have performed 10% x 4 water changes over the last 2 weeks and the numbers have not gone up. I checked my salter water source and tested it, and they are at a better level. I cannot figure out why this is happening and I think it may be effecting my corals.

I started with dry rock and let it cycle (less chance for pests as a reason). I am 4-5 months into this tank. I have 7 zoa frag plugs (small) in my 20 gallon Red Sea Max Nano tank. I have 7 snails 12 hermit crabs, 1 6 line wrasse, 1clown, 1 fire shrimp. NOTHING stands out as the source of my chemical problems.

observation: my Zoa’s are not opening up and stay closed all day. Could this chemical in balance be the reason for this? What will a low calcium and magnesium do for my coral and tank?


Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Salinity 1.024
KH: 7.7
Ca 390 (low)
Mg: 1260 (low)
Lights: AI Prime HD 50% blues & almost no R,G,W
As long as your salinity is accurate, raising it to 1.026 will raise calcium and magnesium. However the numbers you currently have are not disasterous, if you believe your test kits. I always run my tanks at 1.026.
 

GARRIGA

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What salt are you using? Reef Crystal have elevated macros. Can try that.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Something is rapidly depleting my Calcium and Magnesium levels. I have performed 10% x 4 water changes over the last 2 weeks and the numbers have not gone up. I checked my salter water source and tested it, and they are at a better level. I cannot figure out why this is happening and I think it may be effecting my corals.

I started with dry rock and let it cycle (less chance for pests as a reason). I am 4-5 months into this tank. I have 7 zoa frag plugs (small) in my 20 gallon Red Sea Max Nano tank. I have 7 snails 12 hermit crabs, 1 6 line wrasse, 1clown, 1 fire shrimp. NOTHING stands out as the source of my chemical problems.

observation: my Zoa’s are not opening up and stay closed all day. Could this chemical in balance be the reason for this? What will a low calcium and magnesium do for my coral and tank?


Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Salinity 1.024
KH: 7.7
Ca 390 (low)
Mg: 1260 (low)
Lights: AI Prime HD 50% blues & almost no R,G,W

Your calcium and magnesium levels look normal to high (certainly above NSW) for that salinity.

Are you dosing any?

How much depletion are you observing?

They do not just deplete on their own without large consumption of alkalinity.
 
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mdebilio

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Your calcium and magnesium levels look normal to high (certainly above NSW) for that salinity.

Are you dosing any?

How much depletion are you observing?

They do not just deplete on their own without large consumption of alkalinity.
In my research these are below where they should be. Where do you aim?
As long as your salinity is accurate, raising it to 1.026 will raise calcium and magnesium. However the numbers you currently have are not disasterous, if you believe your test kits. I always run my tanks at 1.026.
I had not thought of this. Let me look into that. What numbers do you aim for? Oh my research this is below where I should be aiminig
 
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mdebilio

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Your calcium and magnesium levels look normal to high (certainly above NSW) for that salinity.

Are you dosing any?

How much depletion are you observing?

They do not just deplete on their own without large consumption of alkalinity.
No dosing yet
 

SPS2020

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In my research these are below where they should be. Where do you aim?

I had not thought of this. Let me look into that. What numbers do you aim for? Oh my research this is below where I should be aiminig

Look at some of Randy's posts; he is quite thorough...

 

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In my research these are below where they should be. Where do you aim?

I had not thought of this. Let me look into that. What numbers do you aim for? Oh my research this is below where I should be aiminig
I don’t aim for any specific numbers. I’ve been doing this for ages. Tests kits are generally low resolution, ie crap. If anyone tells you the ideal numbers, they are lying. If your in the general area, you are good.
 
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mdebilio

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Something is rapidly depleting my Calcium and Magnesium levels. I have performed 10% x 4 water changes over the last 2 weeks and the numbers have not gone up. I checked my salter water source and tested it, and they are at a better level. I cannot figure out why this is happening and I think it may be effecting my corals.

I started with dry rock and let it cycle (less chance for pests as a reason). I am 4-5 months into this tank. I have 7 zoa frag plugs (small) in my 20 gallon Red Sea Max Nano tank. I have 7 snails 12 hermit crabs, 1 6 line wrasse, 1clown, 1 fire shrimp. NOTHING stands out as the source of my chemical problems.

observation: my Zoa’s are not opening up and stay closed all day. Could this chemical in balance be the reason for this? What will a low calcium and magnesium do for my coral and tank?


Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Salinity 1.024
KH: 7.7
Ca 390 (low)
Mg: 1260 (low)
Lights: AI Prime HD 50% blues & almost no R,G,W
I feel like an idiot… I posted the LFS’s CA & MG cause I made them test their water hahah

mine:
Ca: 380
Mg: 1200
@Garf @Randy Holmes-Farley
 
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mdebilio

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Here are my zoas…. Even my GSP is hiding…
F3D60CB4-C84F-4DEA-A07E-89DED0349809.jpeg
 
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mdebilio

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Look at some of Randy's posts; he is quite thorough...

This is SUCH and awesome read!! Thanks
 

Brucealmighty

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I noticed my zoanthids staying closed when I first started keeping corals, they were my first too, when the calcium level was low but this was also accompanied by low magnesium and alkalinity I started using all for reef and never looked back now I just have to check salinity and to test and dose alkalinity regularly the other tests are done monthly or even more sometimes if I forget where I am in the month hope this helps a bit.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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In my research these are below where they should be. Where do you aim?

There's no aiming involved. Natural seawater at that salinity does have calcium and magnesium BELOW your current levels. Simple fact.

Reason for pointing it out is that you can raise levels just by correcting the salinity to 35 ppt (sg = 1.0264).

Salinity 1.024
KH: 7.7
Ca 390 (low)
Mg: 1260 (low)

raise salinity to 35 ppt and the numbers become:

Salinity 1.0264
KH: 8.5 dKH
Ca 429 ppm (above NSW at 420 ppm)
Mg: 1386 ppm (well above NSW at 1280 ppm)
 
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mdebilio

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There's no aiming involved. Natural seawater at that salinity does have calcium and magnesium BELOW your current levels. Simple fact.

Reason for pointing it out is that you can raise levels just by correcting the salinity to 35 ppt (sg = 1.0264).

Salinity 1.024
KH: 7.7
Ca 390 (low)
Mg: 1260 (low)

raise salinity to 35 ppt and the numbers become:

Salinity 1.0264
KH: 8.5 dKH
Ca 429 ppm (above NSW at 420 ppm)
Mg: 1386 ppm (well above NSW at 1280 ppm)
Thank you for sharing.

In your opinion, is there a typical reason for why you see Corals stay closed up like that? It has been this way for a few weeks and I am getting concerned
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Thank you for sharing.

In your opinion, is there a typical reason for why you see Corals stay closed up like that? It has been this way for a few weeks and I am getting concerned

Could be lots of things: flow, lighting, organisms (fish, nearby corals, crabs, etc.) annoying it, etc. Chemistry is not usually the most likely concern for closed corals.

I'd suggest posting a thread in the main forum with a title about zoanthids being closed up so that folks with a lot of experience with them can sort through your tank details.
 
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